MXGP

LOMMEL (Belgium) 28 July 2024 – The MXGP of Flanders ran in much hotter conditions than on Saturday, making the arduous Stedelijk Motocrossterrain Lommel circuit even more physically demanding, and it saw a stupendous battle in both Grand Prix classes that had the packed spectator banks in raptures throughout the day’s racing!

Even though it was overcast on Saturday, the circuit was tough enough for the riders in the shorter RAM Qualifying Races, so the full-length GP confrontations held in strong sunshine added even more of a physical challenge, but it was one that the very best relished as they sought to not just survive, but thrive!

The MXGP class was expected to be a battle of the sand masters, between Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s reigning World Champion Jorge Prado and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s record GP winner Jeffrey Herlings.  And it certainly delivered that battle! With some incredible riding, Herlings delivered a knockout punch to record a perfect 1-1 day, make a statement about his speed in the soft stuff, and close in further on the World Championship lead!

A similar battle was expected in MX2, but in two highly eventful races that saw most riders fall from their bikes at one point or another, it was Championship leader Kay de Wolf who claimed his sixth GP win of the season for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing and extended his advantage in the World Championship over his teammate Lucas Coenen by some margin!

The psychological warfare between the two men bidding for the “King of Sand” title, Prado and Herlings, continued in morning Warm-up as RAM Qualifying Race winner Prado was only just bested by the Dutchman, although the 0.130 second difference told Jeffrey that Jorge would be right there in the races!

The first MXGP race was, quite simply, incredible.  Fans, commentators, even seasoned professionals in the crew and those who have spent a lifetime around the sport were astounded at what they saw.

It looked like Prado was the one putting his marker down at the start of the race, with a scorching pace from a typical Fox Holeshot that nobody could live with.  As Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer and Calvin Vlaanderen for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP put themselves between Prado and Herlings initially, red plate holder Tim Gajser started in sixth for Team HRC and looked a little off the pace, being briefly passed by the Fantic Factory Racing machine of Brian Bogers.

Vlaanderen soon pounced on Seewer, and Herlings went through as well before the end of the first full lap, then “The Bullet” moved into second at the end of lap two.  Looking up the track, he had about five seconds to make up, but Prado put the hammer down to extend the distance between him and the Dutchman. On lap four there were ten seconds between each of the leading four riders, as Romain Febvre caught his teammate Seewer, and made a pass that forced the Swiss rider to run wide and allow Gajser through, putting the two ex-Champions into fourth and fifth, where they would stay to the flag.

As if the 15-minute mark was his signal to go, Herlings started to close the gap to Prado, but then disaster struck in front of the packed gallery of fans as he collided with a lapped rider and hit the floor!  With Prado still on a good pace, and the gap up to 17 seconds after Herlings remounted, the battle looked like it would never materialise. 

What followed was one of the greatest recoveries from adversity in Motocross history, as somehow “The Bullet” started to claw back the lead, putting in the fastest lap of the entire race on lap 12 of 16, taking a five-second chunk out of Prado’s advantage!  Carving through lapped riders, he caught the Spaniard less than a lap later, nailed a double-dune section that few had perfected all day, and flew into the lead before anyone could believe what they were seeing!

Barely relenting his speed in the final laps, Herlings himself pulled out a ten-second lead in the last three laps to claim yet another famous victory in his already incredible career. 

Behind Prado was a lonely Vlaanderen, who put in another sterling ride for third. Behind Febvre and Gajser was Glenn Coldenhoff, another Dutchman on a great late charge and sixth for Fantic Factory Racing, then Kevin Horgmo backed up Saturday’s good result with seventh for Team Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz.  Vlaanderen’s teammate Andrea Bonacorsi claimed eighth ahead of Bogers and Seewer.

Unfazed by the pace of Herlings towards the end of race one, Prado went for the same tactic again in race two, the one that has served him so well in recent years, taking yet another Fox Holeshot Award, his 14th of the year, and scampering away at the head of the field. Herlings did well to come out of turn two in fourth place behind the Kawasaki men, with Febvre passing Seewer for second into turn three. 

After putting a pass on Seewer before the end of the first lap, Herlings had Febvre fall from second place and leave him a clear path to the leader. This time it was a simple eight-second gap that he had to haul in, but with a couple of rare errors from Prado as he struggled to find his line in a right-hand corner, “The Bullet” once more pounced and led from the halfway point onwards.

Behind them, Gajser had moved forward in the first full lap to reach fourth place and benefit from Febvre’s tip-over.  The two former Champions fought hard, but the Frenchman, after many attempts, eventually took over third on lap twelve – a move that put him back onto the podium for the first time since his injury in France, and helped out the leading two by taking points away from the red plate holder!

Meanwhile, Vlaanderen was having a nightmare with two crashes that left him in twelfth at the finish, while Seewer held off a late charge from Coldenhoff.  The Dutchman had crashed in the RAM Qualifying Race and had to fight from poor starts all day, thoroughly deserving his hard-fought fifth overall, helped by Horgmo running wide in the later laps with a slight throttle issue.

JM Racing Honda’s local man Brent van Doninck took a solid eighth ahead of Bonacorsi and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing star Mattia Guadagnini.

Out front, Herlings cruised on the last lap but still won by over ten seconds from Prado, executing his game plan of maintaining a solid pace throughout the race and still having enough left to overhaul Prado’s initial burst of speed.  It brings “The Bullet” to totals of 106 Grand Prix victories and 202 GP race wins.  More importantly for him, it brings him to within 14 points of Prado, and 38 points behind Gajser at the top of the field as they head to the MXGP of Sweden in two weeks’ time.  With six rounds to go, any one of the top three could still take the title and they will all give their maximum to have it their way!

Jeffrey Herlings: “I really need to bring my starts. Once I get 1-2 good starts then it’s okay. If we can improve on them that could be great. I think once I can get top start we can always fight for first, second or third and that’s my goal. Still 6 race to go, we came from a long way. Even if I have one DNF, I’m only 36 points behind I believe so we’ll see. For now we’re just go race by race and let’s see where it will bring me””

Jorge Prado: “I mean it’s been a good weekend, yesterday winning the RAM Qualifying, and today twice second. I had a veery good speed all day long but at the end of the race the ‘bullet’ was coming and on such a heavy track I was struggling to keep the same flow the whole race. I did my best to try to beat Jeffrey (Herloings) but he was quicker today and I’m very happy with my second place. Good points for the championship too. Next round ids Sweden so see you guys there!”

Romain Febvre: “I didn’t start well yesterday but we made some changes last night. Then physically I am not where I would like to be because it was always going to be a tough race. Somehow today I felt very good and simply plaedy with the track for 4-3 andto get back on the podium after only two GPs is amazing. I’m very happy.“

Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Romain Febvre; 2. Tim Gajser

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:19.995; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:10.374; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:34.563; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:47.677; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:53.164; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +1:05.943; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:12.435; 8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:17.903; 9. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), +1:21.842; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +1:23.448

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:30.084; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:10.375; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:21.152; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:34.283; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:42.595; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:43.548; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:58.244; 8. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +1:14.626; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:22.102; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:22.995

MXGP Overall - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 44 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 38 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 34 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 30 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 28 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 27 p.; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 25 p.; 10. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 20 p

MXGP - World Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 705 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 681 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 667 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 507 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 479 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 419 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 405 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 317 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 273 p

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 722 points; 2. GASGAS, 681 p.; 3. KTM, 679 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 594 p.; 5. Yamaha, 548 p.; 6. Fantic, 450 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 221 p.; 8. Beta, 149 p

As in MXGP, the second-placed rider from Saturday’s RAM Qualifying Race switched the order around in the Warm-up, as Lucas Coenen out-paced Kay de Wolf by exactly nine-tenths of a second, with Liam Everts also showing good speed in third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. 

Nothing could quite prepare us for the wild ride of MX2 at Lommel!  Race one began, as many have this year, with a Fox Holeshot Award for Sacha Coenen and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, although his brother Lucas was right with him during the first lap, and Team HRC rookie Ferruccio Zanchi was showing great pace in third! De Wolf took a couple of attempts to get past the young Italian, but with Lucas unable to get past Sacha, the tall Dutchman cruised up to his teammate’s rear wheel and skipped past in a long right-hand corner.  On lap two, Lucas made the first of several mistakes on the day, and De Wolf ripped past Sacha with sheer pace through the unending depth of the sand.

Another Dutchman, Rick Elzinga, was riding well for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, but Sacha’s teammate Everts was also on the move.  On a frantic lap six, De Wolf fell from the lead, handing it back to Sacha, as Everts slotted past Zanchi for third. However, on the next lap, Everts went down around the same corner that claimed De Wolf, the red plate holder took the lead back, and then Lucas was back up to third behind Zanchi!

It all changed again on lap eight, as Lucas hit the ground for the second time, leaving Elzinga in third ahead of charging Monster Energy Triumph Racing star Camden McLellan! The South African battled through the race with his teammate Mikkel Haarup, and they both benefitted from another crash for Everts and a last lap heartbreaker for the previously rock solid Zanchi! Elzinga had already moved up to second by that point to match his best race result of the year, and McLellan held his teammate back to claim third and fourth for the Triumph team!

Amazingly, Lucas recovered to fifth ahead of Everts and Zanchi at the finish, with the top ten being completed by Simon Laengenfelder, eighth for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, Karlis Reisulis taking ninth for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, and Sacha Coenen eventually in tenth.

The diminutive Belgian took his 14th Fox Holeshot Award in race two, making it a clean 50% strike rate for the 2024 season! Yamaha men Reisulis and Elzinga chased after him to begin with, the Dutchman passing the Latvian into the third corner as De Wolf worked past Laengenfelder into fourth! 

The series leader appeared to be taking his time, patiently picking off riders to take the lead from Sacha on lap five.  Lucas had already fallen and had to come into Pit Lane for fresh goggles.  The home favourite had to work through the pack to get into the top ten at the close. 

What was looking like an easy race for De Wolf turned out to be anything but, as a crash on lap eight put him back to third briefly, and he had to pass Sacha for the lead again on lap nine! Elzinga followed him through, putting in a great ride to make it a Dutch 1-2.  On lap eleven, the chasing duo of Everts and Laengenfelder moved forward into second and third, and they were chasing Elzinga, who had become the first Yamaha rider to lead in MX2 since the injury for Thibault Benistant, as De Wolf misjudged a sand dune to send his bike off the track and himself, in a hole, on it!

Tasting victory in his grasp for the first time since Trentino in April, Laengenfelder nailed a section of the circuit near the spectator banks, and first got past Everts for second, then taking advantage of an issue for Elzinga, who seemed to be nursing a hot motor, swept into the lead on lap 13 of 16! De Wolf wasn’t done yet, however, as he followed Everts past Elzinga, and passed the tiring Belgian with a beautiful, feet-up move around the outside of a huge berm as the two-lap board beckoned!

A first corner crash had limited Zanchi’s race to a twelfth-place finish, leaving him out of podium contention, and Lucas Coenen got up to eighth on the final lap, passing McLellan who took ninth ahead of SB Racing KTM’s Jens Walvoort. Haarup had to settle for seventh, Sacha Coenen sixth, and Reisulis fifth, as Elzinga managed to nurse the bike home for fourth to cement a fine second place overall!

De Wolf had one late charge on Laengenfelder’s lead, but ran off-track with a lap to go to end his charge in second.  The German’s third race win of the season was enough to put him onto the third step of the podium, but De Wolf clinched his sixth GP win of the year, the seventh of his career, and extended his lead over Lucas Coenen to a mighty 65 points.  Laengenfelder is also back in play for second, lying just 12 points back of the second Husqvarna rider.

With five of the last six rounds due to take place on hard pack, the GASGAS man could still be a force to be reckoned with, and the unpredictable nature of the class means that big points swings are always possible, so the entertainment from MX2 is sure to continue to the very last lap of the season!

For now the teams will rest up with a weekend off before a three-week run of GPs in Sweden, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. Join us in the Nordic North at Uddevalla for the MXGP of Sweden on the 10th & 11th of August!

Kay de Wolf: “I’m extending my championship lead once again so I’m really happy with that. I’m not really happy about that second race but I won the overall for the 6th time so I’m very with that now. It’s so nice to do it for this team. We’re only two minutes away from the workshop here so the whole team is here, so I’m sure they really enjoy this one.

Rick Elzinga: “I honestly could cry from happiness now. You work so hard for this. Mentally it is hard and I had to get over it this season that is why I’m a bit emotional. It was a perfect moment to win but then there was a technical issue somewhere so I had to rode out until the end bring it home in 4th place in the second race. The all team put so much work into it and thank all the people behind me to believe in me.”

Simon Laengenfelder: “I’m really happy after the second race. Unfortunately, we had some difficulties to get the right settings for my bike but finally everything was much better in the second race and I could ride like myself. I showed some good speed and with that race win I’m very happy as I love the sand!”

Main Photo: Kay de Wolf

Bottom Photos: 1. Rick Elzinga; 2. Simon Laengenfelder

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification:  1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 35:52.969; 2. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:04.057; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:07.207; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:12.249; 5. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:13.053; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:16.611; 7. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +0:23.491; 8. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:26.859; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:42.011; 10. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:45.760

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), 35:33.487; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:07.317; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:19.423; 4. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:31.202; 5. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:35.897; 6. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:44.840; 7. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:53.794; 8. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +1:12.130; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +1:14.644; 10. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), +1:15.744

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 47 points; 2. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 38 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 32 p.; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 32 p.; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 29 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 28 p.; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 26 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 23 p

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 683 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 618 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 606 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 556 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 465 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 457 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 429 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 391 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 255 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 254 p

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Husqvarna, 761 points; 2. KTM, 679 p.; 3. GASGAS, 613 p.; 4. Triumph, 500 p.; 5. Yamaha, 490 p.; 6. Honda, 289 p.; 7. Kawasaki, 261 p.; 8. Fantic, 195 p.; 9. TM, 39 p

​WATCH MXGP/MX2 RACES HIGHLIGHTS HERE 

All the photos from the MXGP of Flanders will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF FLANDERS QUICK FACTS:

Crowd Attendance: 34,500

Circuit length: 1850m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 21˚/24°

Weather conditions: Cloudy/Sunny

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Lommel
 

LOMMEL (Flanders, Belgium) 27 July 2024 – The deep sand of Lommel awaited the FIM World Motocross Championships today, and the RAM Qualifying Races at the Stedelijk Motorcrossterrein Lommel circuit tested the world’s top Motocross racers as always to make for two thrilling contests!

Reigning World Champion Jorge Prado won a stunning MXGP encounter for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, as a packed venue couldn’t take their eyes away from a charging Jeffrey Herlings, who very nearly caught the Spaniard on the final circulation, ultimately having to settle for second for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing!

The win sees Prado get closer to Team HRC’s Tim Gajser for the lead in the RAM Qualifying Challenge for the season, as he now has four Saturday wins to the Slovenian’s six in the battle for the RAM Driving Experience.

The battle for victory in MX2 again came down to the two Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates, Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen.  With decisive early passing by Kay and a late mistake for Lucas, it was dynamic Dutchman De Wolf who extended his Championship lead, but for sure the teenage Belgian will be back tomorrow!

After Herlings had set the quickest time in Free Practice, Prado set a fast early pace in Time Practice which Herlings very nearly caught at the end of the session, while Crendon Tru7 Honda rider Conrad Mewse shocked everybody on his return to MXGP action with the third fastest time, even ahead of Gajser!

As it would play out, the RAM Qualifying Race would mirror the Time Practice session for the top two positions, as Prado pulled a clean holeshot, tailed by Gajser and JK Racing Yamaha fast starter Isak Gifting.  Prado proceeded to pull a gap, as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP duo Calvin Vlaanderen and Andrea Bonacorsi battled past Gifting, with Herlings initially in sixth place!

It took Herlings until lap five to get past Vlaanderen for third, as Fantic Factory Racing star Brian Bogers held fifth ahead of Team Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz charger Kevin Horgmo.  The Norwegian put on a brilliant race, passing both Bonacorsi and Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre halfway through, before lunging past Bogers for an eventual fifth position on lap nine of twelve, proof that his fitness is at a high level in the gruelling sand.

By lap seven, Herlings had caught Gajser, and was barely held up by the Championship leader as he swept past on a long left hander, and set his sights on the five-second gap to Prado out front!

Behind them, Gajser took a lonely third ahead of Vlaanderen, Horgmo, Bogers and Febvre, with Mewse proving his speed to recover from an awful start and pass Bonacorsi for eighth, as the Italian held on for ninth.  The final point went to Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer.

With Herlings quicker in the first three quarters of the circuit, he threatened to pass Prado in each of the last three laps, finally diving to the inside of a big left-hand corner berm in a move that looked decisive, but somehow the Spaniard danced out of the way and held on, using his speed in the final sector to claim a hard-earned fourth RAM Qualifying Race win of the season!

With the top three in the Championship again taking the top three positions in the race, albeit in a different order, there is little movement in the Championship situation, but with the big points being paid out tomorrow, that could be a different story! With an even bigger crowd due in to line the fences around Lommel, the atmosphere is going to be astronomical when the big boys hit the circuit on Sunday!

Jorge Prado:”I felt good quite all day long. In the RAM Quali race I didn’t find my flow at all but I managedto stay in front of everyone else. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get a bit more flow and I can ride more like myself as I was a little bit tight. Also I need to get used to these ruts in the sand as it makes it hard to get the rhythm but it’s the same for everyone. We’ll go again tomorrow but it’s nice to be again inP1, especially in the sand right?!  So let’s see tomorrow two 35minutes, in will be interesting!”

MXGP - RAM Qualifying Race – Classification:  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 26:24.996; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:01.078; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:25.512; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:40.400; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:46.526; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), +0:52.860; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:58.329; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Honda), +1:07.539; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:10.247; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +1:10.723

MXGP - World Championship Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 671 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 637 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 617 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 478 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 452 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 389 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 367 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 289 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 273 p

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings; 2. Tim Gajser

Again the Nestaan Husqvarna boys topped the Practice times, Lucas Coenen in the morning, before Kay de Wolf claimed first gate pick in the Time Practice session, ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Liam Everts and a surprising Camden McLellan for Monster Energy Triumph Racing!

As with MXGP though, the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing team claimed the holeshot, as Simon Laengenfelder, helped by a near-crash in the first corner for Everts’ teammate Sacha Coenen,  took the early lead. He held off an outside charge from Lucas to keep the lead for over half of the first burst around the track!  That proved crucial as series leader De Wolf was able to reel them both in and make quick passes on them both to head the pack at the end of the first full lap!

Lucas Coenen was able to blast around the outside of the German to make an inside move stick into the following corner, and then it was the battle of the teammates out front as we have seen through much of this MX2 season.

Laengenfelder had to fend off a challenge from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 sand lover Rick Elzinga, but the young Dutchman couldn’t make a move and the pair stayed in third and fourth until the chequered flag.  Behind them was Everts, who had suffered two crashes in the first four laps but still recovered to fifth with a last lap pass on McLellan. Without mistakes, Liam could be the biggest threat to the Husqvarna men tomorrow.

Karlis Reisulis brought his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 machine home in seventh ahead of Sacha Coenen, while Ferruccio Zanchi mounted a heroic comeback from the very back of the field to take ninth for Team HRC.  Dutchman Scott Smulders also advanced well to take the final point for KMR Honda Racing Team Powered by Krettek.

Lucas Coenen continued to pressure his teammate, looking for that two-point swing and the mental victory against his Championship rival, but a mistake that led him to running off track on the penultimate lap left the young Belgian with too much to do, and the Dutchman took the race win by just over six seconds at the flag.

De Wolf will take stock, as will his teammate, and the duo could well give us a pair of incredible races tomorrow, with Everts, McLellan, Laengenfelder, and Elzinga all with a chance of getting onto the podium as well!

Do not miss a single spinning wheel of action tomorrow, because both classes have some monumental battles in prospect for us!

Kay de Wolf: “It was a really nice and comfortable race. I felt good out there. I just did my own thing and, in the end, I made a few small mistakes but we’ll fix it for tomorrow. Otherwise, riding was good and I’m very happy with it and I’m looking forward for tomorrow to do it again”

MX2 - RAM Qualifying Race – Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 26:15.748; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:06.539; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:42.429; 4. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:46.790; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:47.680; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:49.153; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:12.016; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +1:32.898; 9. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +1:56.757; 10. Scott Smulders (NED, Honda), +2:15.150

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 636 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 589 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 568 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 521 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 457 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 433 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 389 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 365 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 236 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 231 p

Top Photo: Kay de Wolf

Bottom Photos: 1. Lucas Coenen; 2. Simon Laengenfelder 

​WATCH RAM QUALIFYING RACES HIGHLIGHTS HERE 

All the photos from the MXGP of Flanders will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF FLANDERS QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1850m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 21°

Weather conditions: Cloudy

TIMETABLE 

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMX Open Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Lommel
 

LOMMEL (Flanders, Belgium) 27 July 2024 - After a decade of development Alpinestars chose the iconic MXGP of Flanders at the Lommel Circuit in Belgium to launch the latest addition to its family of autonomous Airbag products: the Tech-Air® MX. Available to Alpinestars-supported professional athletes, this pre-production System is now ready for use in training and practice during race weekends, in full cooperation and accordance with current MXGP and FIM regulations. 

TECH-AIR^® MX AIRBAG SYSTEM 
Alpinestars has a long and leading history in developing Airbag body protection for motorcycle racing.  Tech-Air® Race was introduced in MotoGP in 2009, utilizing the data that was recorded in road racing with its large team of racers in different categories since 2003.  There have been several generations of Tech-Air® Race since then, all benefiting from the vast amount of data logged by hundreds of Alpinestars racers worldwide.
 
The same approach was applied to Tech-Air® Off Road, which represents the state of the art in protection at the Dakar race since 2019, with data logging done at Dakar and World Rally Championship races by Alpinestars riders since 2014.
 
Alpinestars has been doing data logging with its athletes in FIM MXGP and AMA Supercross and Motocross, since 2016, in order to develop the sophisticated activation algorithm that can precisely and swiftly trigger airbag protection in the challenging and dynamic environments that MX and Supercross riders encounter - including ruts, berms, and different configurations of jumps and whoops

“Really happy about the Alpinestars airbag vest, I've been using it for a while and it's really comfortable and normal, like a normal chest protector. It's light and it gives you extra protection So, it's really good to have when riding since a lot of things can happen in motocross. It's always good to have extra protection. And, it's really good to know that you have an airbag with you.” 
- Jago Geerts

Thus, Tech-Air® MX provides extensive and effective upper body protection in a compact chest protector that comes with an autonomous Airbag System embedded inside. The Tech-Air® MX is a convenient Airbag protection solution that MX riders can easily wear as part of their kit, offering unrivaled upper body protection at the track.

With Airbag technology being so new in the world of motocross, Alpinestars looks forward to collaborating with the FIM to share data and information. This collaboration aims to aid in the long-term implementation and regulation of MX Airbag technology, similar to our previous efforts in MotoGP and Dakar/World Rallies.

“So today I've been riding with the pre-production version of Tech-Air^® MX body protection from Alpinestars. It was very surprisingly good. I really enjoyed doing it. There has been a lot of development done on it, and I think it's something for the future. I think having an airbag in motocross could really benefit, you know, the protection for us and the safety of us riders.”

- Jeffrey Herlings

The Tech-Air® MX System can be worn over or under any properly fitting apparel with enough room to accommodate the inflation of the airbag. The System offers superior ventilation, with a low-profile and lightweight construction, and maximizes comfort and freedom of movement.

Activating the Tech-Air^® MX is easy; simply attach the left buckle of the System to the Chest Protector, and an internal magnetic switch will detect the left buckle is closed and automatically turn on and activate the Airbag System. Detaching the left buckle will automatically deactivate and turn off the System.

“I just got off the track with the latest version of the Alpinestars airbag body protector. I'm really excited for you guys to test it. The first impression is good right away. It doesn't really feel much different to the whole body protector, but, obviously, the safety is a big plus in the direction we need to go. It's really comfortable and when I'm riding I don't feel it, so it's definitely a positive thing. I'm very impressed with how it feels on track. It doesn't feel like anything different, it feels nice and snug on the body and, comfortable when riding. So it's good.”

- Calvin Vlaanderen

AI TECHNOLOGY AND CRASH MONITORING PERFORMANCE
An industry-first, the Tech-Air^® MX is a fully self-contained, standalone active electronic System that features six integrated sensors: 1 triaxial accelerometer and 1 triaxial gyroscope. These sensors monitor the rider’s body for shocks or unexpected movements and communicate with the System’s computer, sending data inputs every millisecond, or a thousand times per second. Developed through years of research in collaboration with the world’s leading pro-MX/SX and MXGP riders, our team has analyzed riding data from thousands of hours of riding data and crashes, to to accurately assess when to deploy the Airbag ahead of an impact or other dangerous riding event.
 
Upon the identification of a crash situation, the algorithm will trigger the deployment of the protective Airbag, providing unrivaled protection to the rider (with an average inflation time of 40 ms, depending on the volume of the airbag size). The impact absorption while wearing the Airbag when inflated, results in the System being more than 4 times as protective as passive impact protectors.

TECH-AIR^® MX RIDING MODES

The pre-production Tech-Air® MX System comes pre-loaded with the MX/SX Riding Mode. While still in final development, the Tech-Air® MX System will offer riders the possibility of switching between 3 different Riding Modes on the final production Airbag System. Each Riding Mode features an optimized algorithm that enables the system to detect imminent impacts and deploy the protective airbag in crash situations, specific to the type of riding the user is doing at the time.

EASY GAS INFLATOR REPLACEMENT

A quick-release cover opening allows for rapid gas inflator replacement by users (where local regulations allow). In addition, the bladder will likely be certified for up to four to six individual deployments before requiring service, this will be confirmed for the final production version of the System.

TECH-AIR^® APP AND SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATES
When it comes to other features, the Tech-Air^® MX is Bluetooth enabled, allowing riders to easily update their System via the free Tech-Air^® App when new releases of the System’s software with new crash-detection algorithms become available. Offering a wide variety of functionalities, the App provides riders with the ability to check the System’s operational status, and battery life, consult the User Manual, and record their rides on an enhanced Google map with MyRide, subject to network coverage.
 
Regarding battery life, a fully charged battery will provide the System with approximately 30 hours of active ride time. The LED Display features an integrated charging port for convenient and easy charging of the System. Additionally, an integrated LED display is positioned on the Chest Protector and indicates the System’s operational status, battery status, and available Riding Modes.

PROTECTION

The Tech-Air® MX System provides CE LEVEL 1 passive protection on both the chest and back. Additionally, when the Airbag is inflated, it offers CE LEVEL 1 active protection on the back, delivering four times more protection than the passive protector alone. When deployed, the Tech-Air® System’s Airbag provides protection to the rider's shoulders, chest, and back, ensuring unprecedented upper body coverage for motocross.

• Average inflation time of 40 milliseconds, depending on the size of the Airbag.
• The Tech-Air® MX System is Category II CE Certified to the 686/89/EEC European PPE Directive and a version of EN1621-4:2013, which guarantees impact protection performance within 40 milliseconds to 5 seconds of full pressure inflation.

AVAILABILITY

The pre-production version of Tech-Air^® MX will be available to professional FIM MXGP and AMA MX/SX riders in Europe and North America starting on July 27^th. The production version of the Tech-Air^® MX System for the general public is scheduled for the second half of 2025 for international markets.

More about Alpinestars at https://www.alpinestars.com

Photo Credit: Alpinestars